Tax Exempt Account on Olo (Catering Orders Only)

PLEASE READ BEFORE ADDING NEW TAX EXEMPT ACCOUNTS ON THE BACK END: 

When a new authorized guest is created through Account Management or added to a Tax Exempt Account, their customer account is not automatically created with the third-party login provider.

Accounts created in the Authorized Guests section exist exclusively in Olo.

If a guest logs in through your brand’s front-end (such as a mobile app or website connected to the third-party login provider), Olo will generate a new guest profile. This new profile will be separate from and unlinked to the Catering Account or Tax Exempt Account.

If this happens:

1. The guest’s original Olo-only profile must be removed from Account Management or the Tax Exempt Account.
2. The newly created guest profile must then be added to Account Management or the Tax Exempt Account.

To avoid confusion and redundant guest records, it is recommended that guests create their own accounts through your brand’s front-end before being added as authorized guests to a Catering Account or Tax Exempt Account.

Accessing Tax Exemption

1. Navigate to Orders > Account Management.
2. Select a Catering Account to view its details. 
   1. Note: If there are no catering accounts yet, please create a new Catering Account first.
3. Click the Tax Exemption tab to view the table of existing exemptions or add a new one.

Creating a Tax Exemption

1. From the Tax Exemptions tab, click + Create Tax Exempt Account.
2. Complete the following fields:
   1. Name: The name of the tax-exempt entity
   2. Tax Exempt ID: The specific certificate ID number
   3. State Designation: The state where this exemption is valid
   4. Expiration Date: (Optional) If the certificate expires, enter the date here
   5. Certificate Upload: (Optional) attach a PDF, JPEG, or PNG copy of the certificate
   6. Notes: (Optional) Internal notes for dashboard users
3. Click Create.

NOTE: A single Catering Account can have multiple tax exemptions to manage exemptions for different states (e.g., one for NY, one for NJ). Access is controlled by the Catering Account's Authorized Guest list. Any guest on this list has access to all exemptions associated with that account.

Adding or Removing Authorized Guests

To ensure a customer can use the tax exemption at checkout, they must be added as an Authorized Guest on the parent Catering Account.

Option A: Search for an Existing Guest If the guest already has a customer account with your brand:

1. Use the search box to locate them.
2. Select the guest from the dropdown to link them to the Catering Account.

Option B: Create a New Guest If the guest does not have an account:

1. Click Create New Guest.
2. Enter the required fields: First Name, Last Name, Email Address, and Phone Number.
3. Click Add Guest. This creates their profile and immediately links it to the Catering Account.

Removing or Updating Guests

1. Navigate to the Authorized Guests tab.
2. Click Remove next to the guest's name.
3. Confirm the removal, then click Save to finalize the changes.

Understanding Tax Exempt Status

• Active: The account is valid and ready for use.
• Not Order Ready: The account is Active, but the parent Catering Account has no authorized guests assigned to it (so no one can use it).
• Expiring Soon: The account is valid, but the Expiration ate is within 30 days.
• Expired: The Expiration Date has passed; the exemption cannot be used at checkout.
• Deactivated: The account was manually disabled by a user; it cannot be used.

Deactivating and Reactivating a Tax Exemption

• To Deactivate: Select a tax exemption, click Deactivate Tax Exempt Account, and provide a reason.
• To Reactivate: Select a deactivated tax exemption and click Reactivate Tax Exempt Account.

NOTE: Deactivated accounts cannot be edited (except for their notes). You must reactivate an account to update its details.

Tax Exempt Activity Report

Dashboard users with the Tax Exempt permission can go to the Reports tab to download the Tax Exempt Activity Report. This contains a log of all orders that used a tax exemption within a specific timeframe.

***Guest Experience: Checking Out with a Tax Exemption via Serve

Guests MUST LOG IN with their account before checking out. Authorized guests will see their available Tax Exemption as an option during checkout. 

***Manager Experience: Checking Out via Switchboard

When starting an order, a manager can verify if the customer has Tax Exempt Account Access on their profile.

After entering the address, the store details will indicate if Tax Exemption is a supported checkout option for that specific location.

On the payment page, the agent must select the Payment Method AND the Catering Account first. Once the Catering Account is selected, the Tax Exemption will become available for selection.

NOTE: When an order is placed using an exemption, the tax flag is sent to the POS. The POS remains the source of truth for calculating the final tax amount (or lack thereof) on the basket.